Salvation Decision?

hello. i confessed with my mouth that jesus is lord and was baptised about nine months ago but Im worried about not being saved and that I may eventually lose my salvation. Any help?


Greetings Kitty,

This is a very common issue that many Christians have dealt with in all times and places. It is especially problematic in modern America with many churches wrongly teaching that salvation is a matter of personal decisions, obedience, and symbolic actions.

This will always lead the Christian to gaze into his or her heart wondering, "Did I really mean it when I asked Jesus into my heart?" "Have I really turned my life around and become morally better?" "Did I follow all the right rules and jump through the right hoops to be saved?"

It is in these situations in which I always direct the person outside of themselves and onto Christ. You were not saved nine months ago. You were saved two-thousand years ago when Jesus took your sins and nailed them to his own flesh on the cross. Your baptism was not a personal action of obedience or symbolic gesture, it is a washing of rebirth and renewal in which Jesus came to you and washed your sins away. The Christian confesses not "I was baptized" but "I am baptized!" Your faith in Christ crucified and risen did not come from your own choice or reasoning ability, it was worked in you by God Himself the Holy Spirit working through Word and Sacrament.

You, like all humans, are sinful and weak. You can't saved yourself nor are you yourself able to remain in God's salvation. But fear not! Your salvation rests entirely on who Jesus is and what He has done. When you have doubts and your conscience is troubled, look to Christ! Read his precious Gospel promises. Receive his Holy Sacraments. Hear his Holy Absolution. Through these things the Holy Spirit with strengthen and renew your trust in these promises. You are Jesus' little lamb. He holds you in the palm of his hand. In Christ, you are the apple of His eye. Nothing in this entire world, not even Satan himself, can wrest you out of the loving arms of your Bridegroom who has promised to be with you always, even to the end of the age.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Harris


Thanks for your previous answer. How fast do new believers have to grow before christ will accept them?


Kitty,

Apologies on the delay. I'm not sure I understand the question. It is as if you asked "How fast does a baby have to grow before the mother will accept them?" Does a mother wait until her child learns to crawl, talk or read before loving her child? Is this love based upon the "progress and performance" of the baby or the mother's unconditional love?

Do you see why I am confused?

Your salvation has absolutely nothing to do with "speed" or "growth" and everything to do with Christ. From the moment of your conversion you have been declared to be 100% acceptable, holy, pure and blameless in God's sight. Because Jesus put his righteous onto you, you are a saint. Just as a baby does nothing to earn the mother's love, so you do nothing to earn Christ's acceptance.

Hope this helps,
Pastor Harris

Pastor Issues

My parents are very devout LCMS.  Their church is has a older aged congregation and they really like it.  They called a pastor about 5 years ago, and ever since he has been there the congregation has slowly been leaving.  There are a lot of issues that the congregation has with him and the majority would like to not have him there anymore.  When talking about this with them, they told me it was not possible to fire him or anything like that.  He has to be called by God to go somewhere else.  Is this true, or is there a way that the congregation can appeal to have him leave?


Hello,

This is a very sensitive issue but also a quite common struggle within congregations of every stripe. I would, first of all, urge all people involved to avoid any kind of party spirit but to strive humbly serve and lookout for both the spiritual welfare of each other and of the pastor and his family. The reality is that all human organizations, including churches, are composed entirely of sinners. This means each individual can look into his or her own heart and find something which they have done wrong. They can then approach others with a humble attitude seeking forgiveness and reconciliation.

The Lutheran teaching about the Divine Call does indeed offer some protection to the those in the Office of the Holy Ministry. We understand that pastors are placed into their office by God working through the church. They are, thus, not "employees" and can not be hired or fired. In most situations like this the pastor is a well-intentioned man teaching basically correct doctrine but may have a personality clash, odd personal mannerisms, or other common human annoyances that can be blown way out of proportion. He can not ethically be removed from office for these types of things.

Also I notice that in many declining churches, people tend to blame the pastor for lack of numbers (like not reaching a factory production quota). It is worth reminding the congregation that the pastor is there primarily to preach and teach. Each individual member brings this Word into the world as they serve other in love in their daily vocation. The folks in the pew bring in new members, not the pastor. Often if a church is declining it would be wise for each congregant to look into a mirror before pointing a finger at the pastor.

There are, however, times when a pastor is doing something blatantly sinful and offensive in daily life or in false-teaching. If this is the case, the congregation is not just "stuck" with the guy. The procedure in the LCMS is generally to speak with the "Circuit Visitor" about problems in the church who can then in turn involve the "District President" if needed. These men are not "bosses", as the LCMS has a non-hierarchical structure, and can not "hire and fire" either but advise. Nonetheless, your CV and DP can be very useful aids to your parents and to the congregation, whether or not the pastor has committed a grave moral offense. Requesting a visit and meeting from one of these men is a very good first step for a troubled congregational family to begin to mend their fences.

If you go to the LCMS website you can search for the church. It will tell you what "circuit" and "district" the church is in. You can then click on the circuit and it will tell you who the Circuit Visitor is and provide contact information. Your parents can do this individually or urge the church leaders to do so on their behalf. My prayers are with you and your loved ones.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Harris

Perfect God, Imperfect People

How could a perfect God create such imperfect people?


Alex,

This is a very common philosophical question asked throughout the ages. I will try to shed some light from the Lutheran Christian perspective.

The Greek word translated "perfect" (teleios) has a sense of "complete" and "finished". The Hebrew equivalent (Tamam) shares this meaning as well as having a sense of "fullness" "innocence" "wholeness" and "health". Thus "perfect" could be thought off as fully and completely conformed to God's design. The "perfect" person is not "half-baked" or "flawed" but is rather God's finished "magnum opus", the cherry on top of his creation, the apple of his eye.

Now, after the Greek, Latin, Hebrew and Theologish, I will speak plain English.

Man was created perfect.

After God made all the rocks, trees, birds, reptiles and so forth he said things were "good". After he made man, things were "very good". Creation was "perfect". Adam and Eve were created perfect. When sin entered the world, this perfection was lost. (This was the work of man and Satan.) The creation was no longer perfect. 

Mankind was no longer perfect.

All human beings are now born with the sinful imperfect nature inherited from Adam. Jesus Christ, fully God, was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the flesh of the Virgin Mary, becoming fully man. He became the "second Adam" the first person of the second creation, the new heavens and the new earth.

Jesus was perfect.

He lived the perfect life of obedience. He died the perfect death of sacrificial love. As he died on the cross he said "It is finished!". (In Greek this is Τετέλεσται, from teleios, which means "perfect".) In Baptism, God covers you with the perfection of Jesus. Those who believe in Christ have their sin, flaws, and imperfection washed away. Because we were united to the death of Jesus, we will also be united to his resurrection. 

God looks at his church as perfect.

"Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,  and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." Ephesians 5:25-28 

When we finally get to die and leave behind these imperfect, half-baked, sickly old bodies of ours, Christians will be given new perfect bodies in the new creation, the heavens and the new earth. 

We will be perfect.

"For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“ Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“ O death, where is your victory?
 O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:53-57 

Communion in the Augustana

Hi , I am a Roman Catholic reading the defense of the Augsburg Confession and don't understand why on Article X their is no disagreement about Communion being the Body and Blood , Soul and Divinity of Christ when now they only believe in concomitancy of the real presence through,in,and with the Communion meal/species.Why such an aberrancy of doctrine?

P.S. no offense.


Kyle,

I am not familiar enough with post-Tridentine Roman Catholic dogma and terminology to properly address your concerns. I do not use the terms "soul and divinity of Christ", "concomitancy", nor "species" in my teaching and practice. The reformers confessed what they firmly believed to be the identical doctrine and practice of the early church and orthodox fathers.

It is easy to get confused and bogged down by all sorts of philosophical and scholastic debates about exactly HOW it all works.  Some of both Lutherans and Romans veered off into such silliness from time to time. What is the core teaching we hold in common? Simply put, "This IS my body/blood". Hoc Est Corpus Meum. Is means is. Christ speaks, faith believes.

As long as you take this simple teaching as simple fact, there is no difference between Wittenberg and Rome in this matter. Both the unaltered Augsburg Confession of 1530 and the Roman authors of the Confutatio also agree.

"The tenth article gives no offense in its words, because they confess that in the Eucharist, after the consecration lawfully made, the Body and Blood of Christ are substantially and truly present..." (Confutatio Pontificia)

Pastor Harris

P.S. You may enjoy this link
http://mortuummundo.blogspot.com/2007/04/what-part-of-hoc-est-corpus-meum-dont.html

Finding a Church Home

Dear Pastor Harris,

I was formerly an Episcopalian. Last year I joined my local LCMS church because of the liberal trends in my former denomination and also because after reading the Augsburg Confession and reflecting on the matter further I came to disbelieve in the Doctrine of Apostolic Succession. Not that it matters to many of the liberals in the Episcopal Church anyway.  To get to the point though, I have just moved to a small town.  There are no LCMS churches nearby.  Its about an hour to the nearest one. We do have an ELCA church and a small Episcopal Church. I've visited both and both are traditional parishes which do not support the direction their denominations are taking.  So, my dilemma is this: I work two jobs which keeps me busy 7 days a week. I'm able to attend church Sunday morning but I have to be at work early afternoon on Sunday so it doesnt leave me time to drive to the closest LCMS in another city. I value Truth and clarity in essential dogma. That is what brought me to the LCMS. So now I don't know whether I should attend the next closest thing (ELCA or conservative Episcopal Parish) or what to do? Is it a sin to do so if I am only in fully doctrinal agreement with the LCMS? Any advice?


Dusty,

I am sad to say that this is a common dilemma today, especially in the wake of recent ELCA decisions. First of all, let not your conscience be burdened as to simply "attending" a church. The Catechism teaches that we are to hold God's Word as "sacred and gladly hear it and learn it." If your only options are between not going to church at all and regularly visiting a "heterodox" congregation for the purpose of praying the liturgy and hearing the word proclaimed, I would suggest the latter.

However, the situation does get more sticky when it comes to actually "joining" a church and participating in the Sacrament of the Altar. To do so is to publicly declare that you are in "full doctrinal agreement" with the "public confession" of that congregation. In other words, you are saying, loud and clear, that you agree with the beliefs they have signed to, in black and white, in their official confession of faith.

Perhaps a simple solution would be to join the LCMS church and try to attend there when you can to receive the Sacrament, while generally "attending" Divine Service at one of the other churches without "joining" or taking communion. I understand that this arrangement may be difficult or impractical. It may also cause some to see you as "divisive" or "unloving". I would encourage you to use this as an opportunity to share and publicly confess Christ and him crucified as you have come to know him in the Scriptures.

There are no easy answers. Some chose to stay as members of their own heterodox church body as an individual or congregation under a "statu confessionis". This may be something beneficial to read into for your own personal edification but I see it as a gray area and a less than ideal situation. Some congregations within the LCMS, for example, have confessed statu confessionis against certain false teachers and leaders in their own ranks but not against others. This opens a big can of worms!

I suppose the only concrete advice I can give you is to try to receive God's gifts of Word and Sacrament as often and richly as possible while also making a bold and clear confession of your faith and hope, according to your conscience. I'll leave you with a bit of Luther:

“…my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise, God help me. Amen.”

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Harris

Clergy

What are the type of clergy that the Lutheran church has? For example does it have popes, deacons, nuns, monks, priests, etc. Sorry if this was a bother I have a project to do and I cant find this answer anywhere on the Internet. I will be glad if you can return the answer as soon as possible! Thanks!
                            Warm Regards, Carroll Sanchez. : )


Carol,

Lutherans confess that God has technically only established one office in the church, the Office of Holy Ministry. This is most commonly known in the modern United States as a pastor. The bible word for this is Poy-ay-may (shepherd). Other bible words such as Pres-bute-er-os (elder/old man) and e-pis-sco-pos (bishop/overseer/supervisor) also refer to this same office or position. This is the only thing we would call "clergy".

Within this one office, we may chose to have a variety of "polities" or organizations, but any differences we establish are not "ranks" or a hierarchy but simply human-made distinctions for the sake of good order. For example, some Lutheran churches have "bishops" to help oversee groups of pastors or congregations, but they are known as "first among equals" and are in the same "office" as other pastors.

There is also a bible word di-a-ko-nos (deacon) which is not part of the ordained clergy. This is a human-made position and valuable tradition began in the time of Paul. They are lay men and women, usally called Deacons and Deaconesses, who assist the pastor is day to day tasks of the congregation; what the bible calls "waiting tables".  Deacons are sort of like modern  "lay-leaders" (most commonly called "elders") who assist with communion, help organize church finances, visit the sick and so forth. Deaconesses often serves as counselors, social workers, and teachers.

I hope this helps in your project,
Pastor Harris

High Church Lutheran

The LCMS parish I'm a member of is a large, modern and trendy congregation with a very contemporary culture. Over the past year, I've found my views trending towards the high church side and really desire such things such as Holy Communion every week, etc.

Part of me wants to consider moving to a more high church parish but on the other hand I've been a member at my church for over 10 years and feel that I am just being nitpicky.

I don't know if you have run across other people like me and could provide some guidance.

Thank you for your time.

Regards,

Jesse


Jesse,

This is a common theme across many denominations in our times. It is my personal belief that the so-called "contemporary" style of worship is not truly contemporary or modern. It is 1960s and 70s. The LCMS in particular seems to have a habit of adopting American Protestant style about a generation after the more "hip" and "with it" Baptists and Methodists. I do not know your age but I am guessing that the strongest underlying supporters of your congregation's "style" are middle-aged and grew up in the "hippy" times.

This creates a great vacuum and desire among many people to return to the solid and timeless liturgy of the church, treasured by countless billions of Christians over the last two thousand years. If you decide to transfer membership for a more liturgical church, consider it an opportunity to share your love of the pure confession of Christ and him crucified. Many of the people involved in the "contemporary" movement are pious Christians who firmly believe trendy styles are the "only way to reach out to kids." Sadly, many of these practices teach, or at least imply, non-Lutheran or even anti-Lutheran theology.

It should not be an issue of "style preferences" but a theological one. Let them know that you share the same public confession as your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ but want to receive and confess these things in a way that most clearly and faithfully reflects your faith. Make it clear that you are not trying to be judgmental, "holier than thou", or  "nitpicky" but simply desire to receive your Lord's gifts of forgiveness of sins, life and salvation in Word and Sacrament as often as you can.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Harris

Mary, Mother of God

Hi! I'm a Lutheran, and have been all my life. One issue that is bothering me, is the one of Mary. My question is: was Mary a virgin her whole life?
I've done some research, and my interpretation of plain Scripture says that she did not, and that Jesus had half-brothers and -sisters.
But on the other hand, the Catholic church teaches that she was, and some of the greatest teachers of the church also did; Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Hulrych Zwingli and John Wesley, just to mention a few. The only one I found that oposed the doctrine in ancient times, was Tertullian.
This makes me doubt my interpretation of Scripture. How should I deal with this issue?


Hello Marcus,

I can understand your troubles in this matter. I know many dear and respected brothers who hold to this teaching, known as Semper Virgo. It is also a long held and beloved tradition that holds great emotional weight with millions of Christians over the ages. I personally do not hold to this teaching for the very reason you have suggested. Here is a good article by an esteemed friend of mine, Dr. David Scaer. He would agree with you that plain scripture makes a strong case against Semper Virgo.

www.logia.org/features/feature193.pdf

The main reason I choose to strongly disagree with this teaching is that it undermines the doctrine of marriage. From long ago, based on a platonic dualism (Pagan Greek philosophy), folks have thought that the physical realm is evil and the spiritual realm is good. Thus there arose many "ascetic" teachings trying to demonize any bodily pleasure, including sex within marriage.

In scripture, and specifically in the Hebrew culture, marriage and the consummation thereof are fully one in the same. Historically, there is no way Mary would say to Joseph, "Ok fella, we've signed the papers but I'm too prudish and wholesome to actually fulfill the marriage." Marriage is a sacred estate and in no way is it less pious than celibacy. Marriage, in which a woman leaves her parents and becomes one flesh with her husband, is a symbol of Christ and the church. On this Christmas day we celebrate the incarnation of Christ, in which God himself became one flesh with his bride. I'm not going to go around casting doubt about the incarnation because some prudish folks think that God laying in a manger is somehow "dirty and unwholesome".

Nonetheless, we do not condemn those who hold to the Semper Virgo. It is a private opinion and not a central article of faith.

Blessings on this Christ-Mass,

Pastor Harris

Christ's Harrowing of Hell

Hi again! The apostles' creed says that after his crucifixion, "He descended to the dead" (I've also heard some say hell or hades). Here, hell (or Hebrew sheol) is a place where unbelievers awaits the final judgement.
So my question is; why did He do so?
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that descended to set free all the believers that had died before Christ, such as Noah, Abraham, David etc., to let them into heaven.
I also heard a story from the Eastern Orthodox Church that John the Baptist also descended into hell to preach the coming of the Lord.
What does Scripture say? Are these traditions biblical sound, Christian mythology, or fabricated fables?


Hello Marcus,

This is a difficult question to nail down because of translation difficulties and paucity of biblical explanation. Here is an article by an old classmate of mine, which should give some assistance but perhaps not fully cover your question:

http://lutheranreformission.blogspot.com/2010/03/jesus-descent-into-hell.html

I would not characterize most teachings about the Harrowing as fable or mythology, but simply a case of artistic license or adding details to a spare biblical account. Think about the famous Leonardo painting of the Lord's Supper. The events really did happen, but clearly they were not seated in colorful flowing robes at a medieval style table in a square room overlooking the Italian countryside.

It is the same with the Harrowing. Christ, at some point, went to some place, and somehow proclaimed victory over sin death and the devil. He did indeed "Descensus ad Inferos". Both the Apostles and Athanasian Creed make that clear. Our own confessions concur: http://www.bookofconcord.org/sd-descent.php

Unfortunately some of the questions that arise from this may have to wait until we meet our Lord face to face.

Christ-Mass Blessings,
Pastor Harris

Confession and Absolution

do lutherans go to confession?


Hello Dick,

Luther says, "When I urge you to go to Confession, I am doing nothing else than urging you to be a Christian." Confession of sins and pronouncement of the Absolution are basic and integral parts of Lutheran Christianity. Almost all Lutheran Divine Services begin with a "public" Confession and Absolution.

The Roman church required, and technically still requires, a "private" Confession and Absolution. You must go to confession before a priest in order to have sins forgiven. Lutheran and other Protestant churches teach that we can confess our sins directly to God or one another. Thus confession before a pastor is not "necessary" or required.

I think, along with Luther, that private confession is a very wonderful and comforting practice. Sadly it has fallen into disuse in most modern American Lutheran churches, based on a desire to "not look catholic".  Most Lutheran churches will not have a "confessional booth" or set hours to "go to confession" but if you speak to the pastor, he will most likely be willing to set up an appointment with you in his office.

Here he will likely have a short rite for you to confess general sins and those that weigh on your heart. The pastor may offer some advice or Scripture and then pronounce the Holy Absolution. There will be no demand for "Hail Marys" or other forms of "penance". Jesus has already done everything needful to purchase the forgiveness of your sins. Private confession is a beautiful opportunity for a troubled conscience to hear the words of the Gospel directly from the pastor.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Harris

What's a "Catholic"?

at a recent funeral service (at a lutheran church) this statement was made, we believe in the holy spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints etc., why was this statement made? and what does it mean?


Hello Shirley,

Thank you for your question. These phrases come from the Apostles' Creed, a confession of the Faith common among all Christians for over a thousand years and still confessed by most today. (Credo in Latin means "I believe") Lutherans and Roman Catholics have always confessed this identical creed together, first in the original Latin and now in English and other languages.

I assume your difficulty is based on the word "catholic". The Roman church teaches that the word "catholic" is limited to the visible Roman institution under the Pope. In other words, they believe they are the only true church.

In Latin however, as in English, this word means "universal". In other words, Lutherans confess that God has formed a group of people for himself who believe in Christ from all languages, nations and cultures, whether they have a Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Methodist or other "label". It is an "invisible church" formed by the Gospel with Christ as the head and thus an article of faith.

Here is the full text of the Apostles' Creed for you:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
       maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
       who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
       born of the virgin Mary,
       suffered under Pontius Pilate,
       was crucified, died and was buried.
       He descended into hell.
       On the third day He rose again from the dead.
       He ascended into heaven
       and sits at the right hand of the Father.
       From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
       the holy catholic Church,
       the communion of saints,
       the forgiveness of sins,
       the resurrection of the body,
       and the life everlasting. Amen

Here is a link to a simple explanation written by Luther in his small Cathechism (teaching book for children)
http://www.bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php#creed

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Harris

Salvation for Non-Lutherans

Does the Lutheran church believe that non-Lutherans will NOT be allowed into heaven - Say for example Methodists who are follows and believers in Jesus Christ?


Carter,

No! Thankfully salvation does not rest upon a church membership, logo, or title, but upon Christ and Him crucified. Those who know and believe this good news about who Jesus is and what he has done are equally forgiven, declared righteous and covered by the blood of Jesus.

In fact, the Lutheran understanding of salvation makes this point abundantly clear. We understand faith and new life in Christ as a completely free gift miraculously worked by God himself, the Holy Spirit, through means. Simply put, "God does it all".

How does he give us this grace? Through the "means of grace", that is, the Word and Sacraments. The Gospel is the "power of God unto salvation" whether this gospel in poured into our ears, projected into our eyes, trickled over our head and so forth. Simply put, "God does it through his word."

Now human beings all have a sinful nature which constantly distorts the promises of God and seeks all sorts of lies and idolatry. Wherever sinners get together, whether they wear a Lutheran, Methodist, or any other hat, there will be errors, rivalries, and schism. That is why we can be thankful that "God does it all, through the word, in spite of us".

Though on earth there are many denominations, creeds and splinter groups, ultimately there is still "one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism". Church unity is not a goal to be pursued, but a mystery to be confessed. A person may be sitting in a church hearing all sorts of false teachings and errors, but as long as the word of God is heard, read, and so forth, the Holy Spirit will be there working faith, life, and salvation.

Think of it in terms of input and output. The input of salvation is the same everywhere. God puts the Gospel into the hearts of all Christians by his means of grace. Spiritually, in the new man, everybody knows and trusts this truth perfectly.

The output varies from person to person, church to church. As long as we are alive on this earth, our sinful flesh and mind, the old man, will not be able to understand and confess the mystery of faith perfectly. Some outward public confessions of faith are very in line with Scripture. Some are less so. It is certainly a noble goal to try to formally align oneself with the most outwardly faithful creed. It is also good to avoid false teaching. But salvation does not hinge upon this. Salvation is built of the rock of Christ. Nothing in this world, not even our own selves, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Harris

Archangels/Gabriel

Hello Jason,

I have several questions to ask you, especially wanting the Lutheran perspective on the angel Gabriel. Who was Gabriel? What did he look like, there are so many variations of him, I was wanting to know which variation was true. What messages did he deliver and who all in the bible did he come to? Is he considered the "angel of birth", why is he called that? It has been said that Gabriel is the Holy Spirit, is that true? And was Gabriel really female or male; was he both human and angel? Has he ever lived on earth? How old is Gabriel and is he an archangel or just an angel? A lot of questions and I would be so happy if you could give me some insight into who he was and where he came from, thanks!


Lillie,

The Angel Gabriel pops up quite regularly in many imaginative stories within church tradition, folklore, and medieval poetry. However, the Bible itself only mentions Gabriel by name in two sections: Daniel 8-9 and Luke 1.

He is the angel who announced the birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah and the Birth of Christ to Mary. That is probably why people would call him the "angel of birth." He also spoke to Daniel, making the total recorded appearances only 3.

The name literally means "man of God" or "warrior of God". But, letting scripture interpret scripture, we look at the Luke account and know he is an angel, not a human being. Angels are not human, and thus neither male nor female, but generally in scripture take a male human form. Scripture does not say if he was an "archangel" but, within church tradition, he is sometimes referred to as such. I'm honestly not sure what the distinction is. The focus in scripture is always on the Word of God rather than the prophet; the message not the messenger. God even spoke through a Donkey, making Balaam's ass fulfill the same role as Gabriel or Moses or John.

As far as the Lutheran perspective is concerned, the only mention of Gabriel in the confessions is in passing in the Smalcald Articles (Written by Martin Luther in the mid 1500's):

"Neither was John the Baptist conceived without the preceding word of Gabriel, nor did he leap in his mother’s womb without the voice of Mary. And Peter says, 2 Pet. 1, 21: The prophecy came not by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Without the outward Word, however, they were not holy, much less would the Holy Ghost have moved them to speak when they still were unholy [or profane]; for they were holy, says he, since the Holy Ghost spake through them."

This section emphasizes that Gabriel is not the Holy Spirit, but that the Holy Spirit spoke through him in the same way He speaks through the writers of Scripture. It is about the word of God coming into his creation, via means, giving life and salvation.

We don't know what Gabriel looks like or what other activities he has been involved in. The Bible actually only gives a tiny bit of information on which is built a rich folk history and human tradition. (For example, Milton's Paradise Lost and Dante's Inferno have extensive descriptions about the ranks and levels of angels and their deeds.) These stories are interesting but fictional.

Pastor Harris

Hindu Conversion Questions

Hello, I am a 21 y.o. Indian girl. I was born Hindu, but now I am considering becoming a Protestant. I have a few concerns though:
1. What is the Protestant view on menstruation? Can I attend Church during menstruation? And will I be looked down upon just because I menstruate?
2. I don't believe in any rituals, like baptizing. Do Protestant Churches require me to get baptized? Are there rituals in Protestantism?
3. And what are the main beliefs of Protestantism?

Please guide me, I am new to this.

Thanks a lot,
Shruthi


Hello Shruthi,

Blessings on your inquiry into this very important matter. Religious conversions of any sort are likely to create many changes in your personal, family and public life. Periods of questioning can be daunting and confusing.

First and foremost, Protestant Christianity is about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. The heart and core of the Gospel is who Jesus is and what he has done for you, Shruthi.  The Bible says, "God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." It is an exchange wherein your guilt and impurity have been put onto Christ when he was killed on the cross. His perfect record of pure deeds has been credited to you. Thus Christians are a common union of Holy Ones and forgiven sinners, given new life in Christ forever and ever. This Faith has been summed up for millenia in the words of the Apostles' Creed:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Believing and confessing this faith, you have been clothed with the perfect righteousness of Jesus. You are already clean because of the word of the Gospel Jesus has spoken to you. Restrictions on menstruation, clean foods, and other "purity laws" are a common component of many world religions such as Hinduism and Judaism. These however, are not a part of Christianity. Holiness and purity is not attained by your outward deeds or rituals, but is a free gift placed upon you by God and treasured by the gift of faith to cling to these promises.

A man or woman in Christ is always seen by God as completely pure and holy. Christ is the bridegroom who has declared his bride, the Church, to be blameless and pure before the judgment seat. We are presented to him as a virgin bride adorned for her wedding day.

Baptism is taught very differently depending on what particular kind of Protestant church you go to. Many churches teach that Baptism is a required ritual of obedience to God's covenantal demand. Others teach that it is a symbolic gesture to show everybody else your personal work of faith and vow to try to gradually live a pure life. In these two cases, it is a primarily a personal work.

The Lutheran teaching on Baptism is very different. It is God's word combined with water. God's word, the Gospel, is the power of salvation. This word gives you faith to believe what Jesus did on the cross for you. God connects this word to a variety of simple everyday things. You are reading it on your computer screen. It is printed with ink on paper. It comes to us as bread and wine. It pours over our head in simple water.

By this, we can proudly proclaim "I am baptized!" "My sins have been washed away!" "I am pure!" "Jesus' life is now my life!"

I pray the the Holy Spirit be with you and guide you into all Truth. For you are His beloved Shruthi. He has lived, died, and rose again all for you. May you continue to receive his good gifts unto life everlasting.

Pastor Harris

PS For more basic explanation of Christian belief. See the following link.

http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/LCMS/smallcatechism.pdf


Dear Sir,

Your answer to my previous question was very nice. Thank you so much for that! I have now decided to become a Protestant Christian. However I have more questions:

1. I will be staying with my parents (who are staunch Hindus) for 1 year. So in this 1 year, I cannot take any "visible" steps towards Christianity. I really want to be a Christian, and be proud about it. And I don't want to hurt my family. If I tell them about my becoming a Christian, they will disown me and get deeply hurt. I am so confused about how to manage this situation. And right now, is there anything I can do without getting baptized? I am not a scripture oriented person. I just want to lead my life as Jesus taught. Can you please suggest me a simple lifestyle till I get baptized?

2. I want to know why there are denominations within Protestantism.

3. There is a Protestant Church in my city that I have been to once. Since I am a Hindu now, I feel somewhat weird and a little scared as to how the Pastor and others may feel and react. Is it normal? And what should be my first step towards becoming a Christian?

4. How should I pray to Jesus? I don't have His photo. Is that required? What is the "method" to pray to Him?

5. Should I change my name on baptism?

Thank you very much for your patience, help, and time sir,
Sincerely,
Shruthi


Hello Shruthi,

It is an honor and privilege to be able to share with you in the name of Jesus, our Savior. All of the angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner who repents and believes the Gospel. First of all, it must be noted that the primary aspect of conversion to Christianity and person and individual. If you know and believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, taking all your guilt upon himself and covering you with his perfect blood and righteousness, you are already converted. When you appear before judgment at the last day, God will see no sin whatsoever and will usher you into everlasting life. It is that simple!

Secondly, your questions are mainly about the public and communal aspects to conversion. For thousands of years Christians have been hated and persecuted in this world for the confession of the Faith. As a citizen of the Kingdom of God, you are considered a stranger and alien in this world. But our Lord has promised to be with us to the very end of the age and to never leave you nor forsake you, Shruthi, no matter the circumstances.

1. We are taught to honor and respect of parents, even if we believe differently. While you live with your parents, I would encourage you to follow their rules as far as "visible" or outward things. Yet treasure the Gospel proclaimed to you and always ponder it in your heart privately. Pray to God for wisdom as to the best time to "come out of the closet" with your faith and be baptized.

Remember, in the eyes of God you are already fully converted and a complete member of the Body of Christ. There are many old stories of converts to the faith in hostile pagan lands, who were persecuted and killed for their confession of faith before being able to be baptized. The old teachers said these martyrs were "baptized by blood". For you, like them, already knew and believed that Jesus has washed their sins away and were counted as pure, holy, and baptized before God in heaven.

My advice as far as lifestyle is to strive to live at peace with all men, humbly submitting to your parents, and serving others in Christian love. These things have nothing to do with earning merit before God, but are a way of proclaiming the Gospel to those around you by your actions. Even though you say you are not a "scripture oriented person" it is important to continually be reminded of who Jesus is and what he has done for you. Even if you do not understand much of what you read, I would encourage you to find a Holy Bible and read it whenever you can. The Holy Spirit will grant the understanding. Do not consider it a religious textbook, but a love letter from God to you, his precious bride, telling what He has done to seek and save you. By the Word alone, you have been given faith and by the Word alone, your faith will be sustained and nourished.

2. This is a difficult question. The reason there are divisions and quarrels among Christianity is ultimately because we are sinners, just like all humans. Some groups have formed as personal cults around misleading teachers. Some groups have formed to preach and teach more in accordance with the modern world and pagan philosophy. Many more have looked around and found the church around them teaching wrongly, so they have struggled to return to the pure teaching of God's word and be forced to form a new group. There is no perfect denomination. Amidst all the confusion, be comforted by knowing that you are Jesus' little lamb and you will know the voice of the Good Shepherd. When you hear about who Jesus is and what he has done for you, God himself is working through that Word to call, gather, enlighten and sanctify the entire church on earth, including you!

3. In almost any Christian church, folks will rejoice greatly at a newcomer wanting to convert and become a Christian. You should be received warmly as a sister in the family of God. It is normal to be nervous around a new group of people different from yourself. But we are all one in Christ. In the universal church, we are members of the same body, eat of the same loaf, and drink of the same cup. The reason we join a local church is so that the seed of faith planted in us may be watered and grow by the Word of God within the Communion of Saints.

4. While religious art has a long an rich tradition as a devotional aid in many times and places in Christianity, they are certainly not "required" for prayer. As a Christian, the Holy Spirit lives in you, making your own body his temple. You can pray wherever you are, whatever you are doing; while driving, working, or laying down; out-loud or silently in your heart. When Jesus' followers asked him "How should we pray?" he taught them what we know as the "Lord's Prayer":

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

5. Changing your name of Baptism is an ancient tradition in many places, but these days in not very common. In America, for example, almost nobody changes their name. It is entirely up to you. It is most important to realize that you already have a new name. You are "Christian". You are in Christ. You are part of the the universal church, the bride, which has been married to Christ, the bridegroom.

May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard you heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Harris

Creation and Evolution

If the theory of dinosaurs existing is true. Why are there not any living yet today? Why would god not want them to survive the flood?


Hello Loren,

I am afraid I don't know the answer to either of your questions. I personally was not there at the time of the dinosaurs or the worldwide flood. The only thing I have to help me understand all the bones and scientific evidence is the word of One who was there.

Almost all people, whether they believe in creation or evolution, will say that dinosaurs did indeed exist. They simply vary in their understanding of how long ago this was and why they are not around today.

At some point in history, for some reason, God allowed many kinds of creatures to become extinct. We do not know whether the dinosaurs became extinct before or after the flood. (It could not have been *during* the flood, for if they were still around at the time of Noah, God would have placed them on the ark.)

Most of these issues are careful guesswork, often heavily biased by the scientists' underlying worldview. Evolutionism is a religious faith based on Atheism. Creationism is a religious faith based on Christianity.

The bottom line is that you are a special and beloved creation of God. He has formed you from your mother's womb. In love, our Lord died for his creation and rose again on the 3rd day as a firstfruit of the new heavens and the new earth.

Creationism thus is not a historical belief about the past. It is a hopeful confession of the future. For now all the current creation is corrupt and dying, groaning out as in birth pangs. But soon our Lord will return and make all things new; new rocks, new trees, new cats and dogs. The crowning jewel of this new creation is the church, all those who believe in Christ, who will exchange our lowly bodies for glorious and perfect bodies forever and ever. Amen.

ELCA, Lutheran Confessions Subscription, Variata

I am wondering why the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) does not embrace Philip Melanchthon's Augsburg Confession Variata of 1540 (1542?).  It seems as though they are distancing themselves from Lutheranism (e.g. 2009 proposed sexuality statement & reccomendations), and due to their strong desire toward ecumenism, and the use of ambiguous ecumenical statements for declaring some level of unity (e.g.. Lutheran-Roman Catholic statement on Justification) and joint communion with denominations who hold differing beliefs regarding Holy Communion, etc., it surprises me that they would not resurrect Melanchthon's "new, improved, ecumenically enhanced version of Confessio Augustana (the Augsburg Confession) rather than hanging onto qualified interpretations of the U.A.C.  Any thoughts on the matter?


It seems from the wording of your statement/question that you have a considerably different worldview and set of theological presuppositions from the ELCA. I myself pastor a proudly UAC Lutheran congregation. I can not give an "answer" as such, but can perhaps try to outline some of the basic workings of the mainline/liberal theological mind.

From the ELCA perspective, they are not "distancing themselves from Lutheranism" because they have a different understanding of what "Lutheranism" is. While those on the more conservative side generally define Lutheranism as subscribing to the actual Doctrine of the Confessions and Orthodox Fathers, mainline/liberal theologians see Lutheranism more as a free-thinking spirit to challenge existing dogma and social injustice. They are "like Luther" because they challenge racism, paternalism, homophobia and so forth.

The actual confessions are seen as a historical reminder of where they started and from which their theology continually evolves and progresses. In other words, the wording and theological content expressed in a given document is a "snapshot" of what their spiritual forefathers used to believe 500 odd years ago. They are not "binding" as such today.

Similarly, there has been a rift between various Lutheran church bodies over the last 200 years, mainly in America, regarding confessional subscription. In other words, when a pastor is ordained does he promise to preach and teach according to the Lutheran confessions "because (qua)" they are in agreement with the word of God or "insofar as (quatenus)"? Mainline/liberal churches such as the ELCA represent the latter view.

If you make a "qualified" profession (quatenus), you are free to believe and teach 99% of the Confessions or 1%, according to individual whim. Likewise, one could just as easily make a "qualified" subscription to the Koran, Satanic Bible, or the latest script from Family Guy by simply agreeing with what you see as the "good stuff".

Also ecumenicism and so called "ambiguous" statements are not "dirty words" from the ELCA perspective. Conversely, they see particularness about specific doctrinal formulations as the main cause of division in the church. They would see worrying about the actual text, wording, and translation of the confessions as "divisive and unloving". The goal of many mainline/liberal theologians, from across many denominational lines, is not to confess Truth boldly and clearly, but to manipulate the grammar in a broad all-inclusive way so that nobody can disagree or be offended.

I suppose the short answer is that if the actual wording of the confessions "doesn't really matter" why bother deciding between the 1530, 1540, or 1542 version of some dusty old relic when people are still homeless, women still can't vote in some places, and two-headed lesbian Eskimos still suffer from social injustice?

From Whence I Came

I am a 3rd generation American from Sweden and my family's genealogist.  I found it curious how our religions diverged from the mother Lutheran faith.  My far-reaching extended family runs the gamut from atheist to Catholic. I am a Methodist and reading some of the posts here, it sounds as though these two churches are very similar.  So if that is true, why would a Lutheran become a Methodist?  I know this is a personal question and should be asked of the individual, but my grandparents are no longer around to be asked this question.  Any insight would be appreciated.


Hello Keith,

While there could be many complex personal and individual reasons, I could venture a few guesses.

The most common and mundane is marriage. When two people of different denominations get married they usually end up either both not attending church or both joining the church of the husband (or wife if she wears the pants).

The slightly more involved reason could be that Methodism is a lot more common in American than Lutheranism. Methodism, along with the closely related Pentecostalism, was spread widely through rural and backwoods areas by traveling "big tent revival" preachers. When Lutheran settlers came over to the states, especially as they ventured out of port cities into rural areas, they were a small minority.

Thus, in small towns, it was popular to have "federated" or "union" churches in which two or more denominations would share a building with the idea that Lutherans would come when the Lutheran preacher was in town, Baptists when the traveling Baptist preacher was in town and so forth. However, these almost always ended up with an amalgamated church much more Methodist in character than Lutheran. Another very simple reason for this is that most hymnals and religious books published in the English language were Methodist or Baptistic or the like. As folks changed from their native tongue to English, so did their religious reading.

The third and most speculative reason is socio-theological . Swedish Lutheranism, especially in the late 1800's and early 1900's when many were coming over to the states, was heavily Pietistic. The Pietist movement emphasized individual spiritual experiences and moral rigor over traditional Lutheran doctrine and the sacraments.

Picture a Swedish Lutheran Pietist, strongly against drinking, smoking, dancing, card-playing, and so forth arriving in America. Would he find more in common with the "formal" worshipping, beer-drinking, cigar-smoking German Lutherans or the staunch strict Methodist majority?

Food for thought,

Pastor Harris

Lutheran Ecumenism

Dear Pastor Harris,

Thank you again for your reply to my last question. It was excellent. Anyhow, I have one other question that is specific to the Luther Church Missorri Synod.  Is the Lutheran Church MS involved in the Ecumenical Movement?  I support cooperating with other Christians, or anyone of good will for that matter, on just causes that we all can share. Anyhow, I also was turned off by the mindless drive for ecumenism that characterized the Episcopal Church and other liberal denominations. They seemed to be way out of touch with reality and was pulling us toward a unity that stood for nothing since differences were glossed over by vague words that can be interpreted to mean anything.  Anyhow, where does LCMS generally stand on this?  Thank you!


I don't feel qualified to give an "official" answer of the LCMS position but I can provide a good link and give my summary observations.

http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/CTCR/ecumenism.pdf

The basic idea is that the LCMS is involved in ecumenical discussions, but not exactly part of the "movement" that you characterized as "a unity that stood for nothing since differences were glossed over by vague words that can be interpreted to mean anything."

Instead, the goal is to come to very clear unambiguous agreements precisely in accord with the word of God. The document states, "The confessing fathers of Lutheranism sought for and achieved an agreement in doctrine that was no mere pretense, but one that would “help matters fundamentally” in a strife-torn church. Accordingly, they did not ignore controversial issues and simply agree to disagree. “They saw clearly that there was no better way to counteract . . . religious controversies . . . than, on the basis of God’s Word, carefully and accurately to explain and decide the differences that had arisen with reference to all the articles in controversy, to expose and to reject false doctrine, and clearly to confess the divine truth.”

In everyday practice, most conservative Lutherans will work together with other denominations (Roman Catholic, Baptist and so forth) in left-hand kingdom, or purely temporal affairs, such as passing out food after a natural disaster or building houses for the poor.

LCMS folks will also work with religious charity groups such as the Boy Scouts and the military chaplaincy. Joint prayers with other Christians are considered ok as long as they don't "share airtime" with non-Christian or anti-Christian prayers. (WELS tends to be against such things altogether.)

However, joint "ecumenical" worship services are strongly discouraged. When it comes to public preaching and teaching, we only maintain "altar and pulpit fellowship" with those who agree on all articles of Doctrine. So, in an LCMS church, the guy preaching the sermon and officiating the Sacrament of the Altar will, ideally, be an ordained man in full doctrinal fellowship with the LCMS.

Lutheran Liturgical Churches

First of all, thank you for volunteering to answer questions for inquirers online! I'm not sure which synod of Lutheranism you're in since it says your more familiar with conservative viewpoints. I'm also conservative, or at least I'd say I strongly desire to see orthodox teaching continue on the core doctrines of the faith and also support upholding the traditional Christian understanding of marriage.  It seems many inside the ELCA are quite willing to tolerate pastors and bishops who question everything essential to the faith, and openly give endorsement to homosexual lifestyles, and say that it's ok to be Lutheran and question things like the Virgin Birth, Trinity, Bodily Ressurrection of Jesus, etc. You name it they question it.  Anyhow, I have been an Episcopalian and my local church now has a radical feminist priest and openly gay couples abound in the congregation.  The gay organist actually attempted to "hit on me" at coffee hour.  I was horrified, and don't want to be in that kind of Church anymore.  I like the Lutheran Churh for its similarity to Anglicanism because of the liturgy and reverent worship service. The chruch I have been attending is ELCA  but was wondering if Missorri and Wisconsin synods are also liturgical churches? Do they use vestments?  I know that they are more conservative but I also dislike the modern evangelical mega church style of worship that everyone's trying to copy? So, what can you tell me about those two synods worship styles? Sorry for the length of this posting! I shouldn't have spent so much time venting, I just wanted you to know what I'm looking for and why.  God Bless!


Hello,

For full disclosure, I am an LCMS pastor. My church wesbite is at http://saintjameslutheranchurch.org From what you say, it seems that you are in search of a socially conservative congregation with traditional worship practices. Almost all American denominations right now are struggling with these two issues: Doctrine and Practice.

The major Lutheran groups are no exception I'm afraid. Your issues with the Episcopal and ELCA are primarily doctrinal. In other words they have changed the basic teachings of Christianity and the Holy Scriptures. LCMS and WELS churches (along with ELS and other groups) are generally conservative in this respect.

It seems your inquiry about LCMS/WELS is primarily practical. In other words; what do they do on a typical Sunday morning? What will my visit look like? What order of service will they use and what hymns? I'm afraid to say that this will vary tremendously from congregation to congregation. This is true across almost all denominational lines, "conservative" to "liberal".

Many congregations, such as my own, within the "conservative" Lutheran bodies will certainly use vestments and pray a very familiar and reverent liturgy. (Almost all modern Protestant liturgies in the English language are derived from the early Church of England Book of Common Prayer which was largely a translation of Luther's German Mass.)

Many other "conservative" congregations will use a vast array of the latest "modern evangelical mega-church" practices. I agree with you that it seems almost everybody, in you-name-it denomination, is "trying to copy" this style. This is simply the latest bandwagon trend, sold by its supporters as the most "missional" and "effective" for "growing the church".

I think you are looking for a confessional (traditional doctrine) and liturgical (traditional practice) Lutheran congregation. Unfortunately, the only way you will find this is not by looking at the letters on the church sign (ELCA/LCMS/WELS) but by calling the individual churches up on the phone and/or checking out their websites. Then make a number of visits to different congregations.

May I suggest www.lutheranliturgy.org as a starting point.

May God bless you as you seek to receive his Gifts and rejoice in all his Benefits!

Pastor Harris